ISS/Shuttle in midwest obs ?how was this orbit chosen

Chris Kalmar (ckalmar@att.net)
Mon, 14 Dec 1998 06:25:45 -0600

I certainly hope some of you got to see the shuttle/iss this morning.
Shuttle was as bright as venus
and the ISS about 10 degrees behind it at 70% the brightness (42n 91.4w) and
right on time with

1519ZARYA
1 25544U 98067A   98338.54388251  .00021614  00000-0  27197-3 0   801
2 25544  51.5957  95.7122 0009209 255.4339 104.5620 15.59546302  2247
STS-88
1 25549U 98069A   98347.96131597  .00002640  00000-0  32986-4 0   376
2 25549  51.5986  48.4023 0012844 238.1135  82.3114 15.59067185  1517

at 12:02z 12 14 98

Couldnt see any debris objects with one power.


Does anyone know how this orbit was chosen for the ISS? I know the Russians
wanted it to be in the same plane as Mir so equipment transfer would be
easier but
several good reasons were given that convinced them otherwise.

-now going silent for a few months more.